Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday disapproved senior Congress leader CP Joshi’s comments that “only pandits and Brahmins knew about Hinduism” and asked him to accept his mistake and give an apology.

Gandhi said Joshi’s statement was against Congress party’s ideals. He also asked the leader to express his regret keeping in mind the principles of the party and respecting the sentiments of the workers.

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He also warned party leaders to refrain from making any statements which may hurt sentiments of any section of the society.

“C.P. Joshi’s statement is against the ideals of the Congress party. Party leaders should refrain from making any statement which may hurt any section of the society,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

“Respecting the principles of the party and sentiments of its workers, Joshiji would definitely realise his mistake. He should express remorse for his statement,” he said.

Soon after, CP Joshi tweeted his regret even as he accused the BJP of twisting his statement and condemned its “fabricated use”

Gandhi’s remarks came after a video of Joshi surfaced on Thursday in which he is heard saying that only pandits and Brahmins knew about Hinduism and were learned enough to speak about it.

“Does anyone know what is the caste of Uma Bharti? What is the caste of Sadhvi Ritambhara? In this country, if anyone knows about religion, it is the pandits and the Brahmins,” Joshi is heard saying in the video.

Last year, senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar was suspended from primary membership of Congress Party following his controversial remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mani Shankar Aiyar had called PM Modi a “neech aadmi” (vile man), who does “dirty politics”.

The Congress strongly disapproved of Aiyar’s remarks, with party Vice President Rahul Gandhi saying he and the party expected the leader to tender an apology.

(With agency inputs)